Battles, blood and betrayal – the story of Montgomeryshire in the English Civil War

The chief protagonist was Sir Thomas Myddleton who was granted a Parliament commission in 1643 to unite the supporters of their cause across north Wales

Powys and north Wales in general had been predominately supporters of the Royalist cause, indeed the region had proved the most fertile recruitment area for forces loyal to King Charles I.

Undeterred, Sir Thomas Myddleton, the Earl of Denbigh and descended from a powerful and rich family with lands in the Midlands, north Wales and Montgomeryshire, was charged with the responsibility of raising Parliament loyal armies in Wales.

In 1643 he arrived in Nantwich with a small but well armed force which had faced an impossible task with Royalist forces garrisoned across Shropshire and north Wales – including Sir Thomas' own castle at Chirk.

However Sir Thomas had an ally in Sir William Brereton and his brother in law, Thomas Mytton.

While Mytton claimed Wem, Brereton led an invasion of north Wales which successfully cut off Chester from supplies of men, coal, lead and food but the gains were soon lost when the Royalists sent an army of Irishmen to to relieve Chester.

Sir Thomas Myddleton. Picture: National Library of Wales.

Sir Thomas Myddleton. Picture National Library of Wales.

Myddleton raced to London to ask for assistance as Nantwich came under siege for two months until Sir Thomas Fairfax led an army of Parliamentarians to victory.

With the Royalists now fighting for supremacy in northern England, Sir Thomas had come to mid Wales in June 1644 to mount an invasion.

The walls of Oswestry were breached on June 22 and its garrison surrendered and on July 2 successfully defended it against a Royalist army who had fled back to Shrewsbury, surrendering the key Montfort Bridge.

Now Sir Thomas had looked to the Severn Valley as a route into Royalist Wales while Prince Rupert, nephew of King Charles I and Royalist commander, had looked to defend Welshpool.

Lord Powys formed a detachment at his castle as Sir Thomas Dallison arrived in Welshpool with a small force of the prince's regiment on August 4.

However the following day Sir Thomas Myddleton and Colonel Thomas Mytton, invaded the town with Dallison and most of men held up at Powis Castle.

The fall of Welshpool had led to the collapse of the Royalist hold in Wales and the borders and Prince Rupert and his armies were pushed back as far as Oxford by the end of the month, allowing Sir Thomas to press inland.

A shipment of gunpowder, bound for Royalist garrisons in Shrewsbury, Chester and Liverpool from Bristol, was seized while passing through Newtown.

When Edward Herbert, Lord Herbert of Chirbury allowed Sir Thomas and his Parliamentarian army to house the seized gunpowder at Montgomery Castle, having refused the offer of a Royalist garrison from Prince Rupert months earlier, the Royalists had sent a great army to lay siege to his castle.

Thomas Mytton. Picture: Wiki Commons.

Thomas Mytton. Picture: Wiki Commons.

Parliamentary forces had soon arrived from Nantwich and Liverpool and on September 17 the Battle of Montgomery was waged - the largest battle of the Civil War on Welsh soil which had seen 9,000 men go to war near the River Camlad.

The outnumbered Parliamentary armies prevailed and the Royalists were defeated with its commander, Sir William Fairfax, captured.

The gates of the Red Castle were blown up on October 2 and Lord Powys surrendered and soon many of the most powerful men of the county declared for him, including Sir John Price of Newtown, the county MP.

montgomery castle.jpg.

Montgomery Castle.

Sir Thomas used the Severn Valley as his base for raids on Ruthin and Denbigh while burning to the ground Mathafarn, the house of defeated Royalist commander Rowland Pugh after the Battle of Machynlleth on November 25 and Abbey-cwm-hir, the only Royalist garrison in Radnorshire, was also claimed.

However Sir Thomas' ambitions were tempered by his small army of less 650 men which had come to be much depleted by battle or desertion having not been paid for months.

Nor had he trusted the Severn Valley gentry loyalties, writing to his commanders early in 1645 'I dare not trust to my countrymen who are newly raised either to keep the garrisons or to go upon any design.'

Still Sir Thomas had looked to invade north Wales, twice attempting to seize his castle in Chirk but failing on both occasions.

During 1645 Chester had been the main theatre of the English Civil War and Sir Thomas and his allies had been commanded to prevent Royalist armies from south Wales venturing north through the Severn Valley.

Instead his hold on the region weakened with his ally Sir John Price captured by Royalists led by Colonel Charles Gerard in Llanidloes and laid down the command of Montgomery Castle to his captors on May 16.

Powis Castle in Welshpool. Picture by Gary Williams.

Powis Castle in Welshpool.

However across the country the Royalists suffered a succession of defeats throughout 1645 and Chester finally surrendered in February 1646 following a 16 month siege with King Charles captured in May, bringing an end to the Civil War.

While his brother in law, Thomas Mytton, grew in power under Oliver Cromwell, Sir Thomas lost the favour of parliament, losing his seat in the Pride's Purge just two years later and played no part in the Second Civil War which ended with the execution of King Charles I in January 1649 which he had disapproved.

Sir Thomas had declared Charles' son, Charles II as king in a Wrexham market place in 1659 having joined the Cheshire Rising, an act which saw him lose Chirk Castle and given notice to leave the country.

However just a year later King Charles II was declared King and upon the Restoration his son was made first Baronet of Chirk Castle - completing a remarkable change in fortune for the family having fought against the crown just a generation earlier.